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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A couple weeks ago there was a sale on at my local fabric store. I picked up a few yards of this fleece-backed knit. I thought I'd make myself a sweater... the weather was turning cold, so I thought maybe I'd make Oliver one too. When I mentioned to Dan that I was making Oliver and I matching sweaters, he wanted in on the action.... so, I made him one too. Then we decided that we had to capture the moment in a perfectly cheesy family photo, and a new tradition has been born. Acually, it's the first Family Christmas Tradition ever for us, and I think it's a pretty good one. It also gave me an excuse to cut off Dan's bush-man beard to a more suitable length...

Oliver looks particularly embarrassed here.

Oliver was as cooperative as I would have expected him to be. We set up the camera and tripod and timer, and rushed to get everyone in place. At one point, he heard the cat run up the stairs, so of course he had to bolt after her, barking all the way. Here I am cursing at him!

"Oliverrrrr! Come back here!"

I made Dan's Sweater using the Strathcona Henley Pattern. It turned out really well, and I think I will make Dan more (less cheesy versions) of these. I did Oliver's sweater to match, with a little button up placket. It's just the cutest. Now, if only I could convince him to wear it more often...

Christmas just isn't going to be the same this year. It's definitely not the Christmas I imagined it would be a couple of months ago. But, starting new traditions, and doing things a little differently is definitely making it easier.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

I never, ever imagined that going through a miscarriage would be like this. Right now it's just at the point where everything is just awkward and it feels like it lasts forever... I ran into a friend a couple of days ago who I had told I was pregnant about 13 weeks in. We ran into each other at the grocery store and exchanged hugs and hello's. The thought didn't even cross my mind until halfway through our small talk, and it hit me "ugh.. he thinks I should be big and pregnant right now, and I'm totally not." I didn't even address it. I brushed it aside. It's been just over two months since everything happened, and most days are pretty good now, which is great, but I still have these moments where I realize "I should be pregnant now, and I'm not." It's such a weird feeling. Like never reading the last page of a novel... Absolutely no closure.

Dan and I decided to stay in this Christmas. We will visit with his parents in the morning and then head out to my parents for the afternoon. We were supposed to visit his Aunt and her husbands family in the City, but I felt like it might be too much for me right now. I think the thing I am dealing with the most at this point is that I just feel so awkward around people, and I think people don't quite know what to say to me. I am socially awkward enough as it is!

This morning I popped over to the Etsy forums to see if there was anything new and important I should know about and right there, on the discussion board, in big bold letters was a random "I'm Pregnant!" announcement. I'm not really sure Etsy is the venue to be announcing your pregnancy, but there it was... I shut my laptop and got another cup of coffee (one upside to not being pregnant, lots and lots of coffee). A girl I know is due in March, another girl I know just had a baby. Newborn babies and pregnant ladies... everywhere.

I am still angry. I'm less angry now, but there's no denying it, and I don't think that will go away anytime soon. I have this feeling that there should be some sort of universal justice, but there's no finding justice in this situation. I know universal justice isn't really "a thing," but I can't get it out of my head. I feel like it should work itself out like a math equation: Really Bad Thing + Really Good Thing = Universal Justice

I think the thing that hit me the most with this whole situation is how horribly and universally unjust life can be. Life is full of such terrible things. Babies get born unwanted, babies die, people abuse animals, people get sick, people are starving, horrible things happen... Ugh, life! You're such a cruel bitch...

I speak in hyperbole. Terrible things do happen, but small good things are going on too and we all get on with our lives. There's not much other choice! Business is sustaining itself at a reasonable pace, and I have some potential opportunities coming my way. I'm looking forward to a low-key Christmas and got Dan a really great present this year. I made a donation to my local Humane Society and feel really good about that. I started working out again and have lost 15lbs and physically feel better than I have in a long time. I've nearly completed a knitting project (a sweater for Oliver). I started a new Christmas tradition, making matching sweaters for Oliver, Dan and myself. And, today I'll be spending the day with three of my favourite people, my mom, my aunt, and my cousin, doing some Christmas Shopping.

I dreamed two nights ago that Dan and I moved to Oregon. How weird is that? I've been craving a change of scenery. I'm hoping Dan can take some vacation time soon and we can go on a road trip.